Pastor Matt Staniz

Pastor Matt Staniz came to Temple Lutheran Church in 2004.  Pastor Matt and Monica were married in 1998. Their daughter Amber was born in February 2002. The Staniz family enjoy being a part of Temple Lutheran Church and members of the local community.

About Pastor Matt Staniz

Growing up in Pittsburgh, Pastor Matt first came to the Philadelphia area in 1993 after graduating from Messiah College in Harrisburg with a degree in Sociology. After a summer of leading youth ministry in North Philadelphia, he accepted a position as youth director for Oasis Youth Services, a ministry to at-risk teens in Lancaster and Schuylkill counties.

Prior to returning to Philadelphia to attend seminary, Pastor Matt also carried out extensive anti-poverty work through Schuylkill Community Action. He supervised a welfare-to-work program, provided emergency assistance to homeless families, and directed a network of food pantries that served 18,000 people during 1999. Pastor Matt has been involved in direct ministry to poor families in Central Pennsylvania, Washington DC, Chicago, South Carolina, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. In March 2000, after starting a matched-savings program for struggling families, Pastor Matt was a part of a small delegation representing Pennsylvania at a national anti-poverty conference in Austin, Texas.

Pastor Matt graduated with honors from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, where he served as president of the class of 2004. He was the recipient of multiple awards for academic achievement and was the seminary's first winner of the Atonement-Asbury Park award for outstanding preaching. While in seminary, Pastor Matt served Grace Lutheran Church in Camden, NJ and Mediator Lutheran Church in North Philadelphia. He also worked with children through Lutheran Children & Family Services and served as a chaplain at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Cathedral Village Retirement Community.

Pastor Matt enjoys spending time with his family and watching Amber grow up. He is also an avid music fan (the louder the better!) and likes to play the guitar (which is often included in contemporary worship at Temple). He also enjoys reading (usually books about God, rock n' roll, or both). He is a fan of Philadelphia sports teams, but maintains a greater love for the black & gold wearing teams of his native Pittsburgh...especially the Penguins!

As pastor of Temple Lutheran Church, Pastor Matt remains committed to connecting our congregation with our community and the larger expressions of God's church. His work has included coordinating the Haverford Township Senior Dine Around and serving as president of the Haverford Township Clergy Association. Pastor Matt has also actively served on advisory boards for SEPA Lutheran Youth Organization, The Havertown Center, Haverford CARES, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia Alumni/ae Association.

In August 2009, Pastor Matt joined Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in declaring Philadelphia a ONE city in partnership with the ONE Campaign to Make Poverty History.

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